I have a new nightly routine of late, mainly because the old one wasn’t working.
Use to be, I’d tuck the guys in and then toss fitfully in an attempt to doze off. I’d eventually give …

It was more than 20 years ago when I met U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, but I recall two things vividly about that day.
The first was how ill at ease he appeared at what was …

Note to California State Sen. Ellen Corbett: Social networking sites do not post personal information about minors. The minors themselves do that.
That’s why Corbett’s bill, which The Sacramento Bee says would ban sites from posting …

It’s kind of ironic, given that John McCain was the subject of the original birther lawsuit, that Arizona is like a pit bull after a steak when the citizenship at issue is Barack Obama’s.
Or not …

Ever since I’ve moved to California, I’ve enjoyed the benefits of curb-side recycling.
It really couldn’t be an easier: Separate your trash in the house and select the appropriate bin outside in which to deposit it. …

They’re probably not doing it because they’re out to get you – though it feels like it sometimes – but you’re right about the second part: Day cares do send kids home when they’re not …

It’s not as if big coal companies ever have been benevolent societies – the song “Sixteen Tons” and its lyrics about owing your soul to the company store stemmed from a miner’s reality.
It’s not as …

How nice it must be to have all the answers – even if the answers keep changing when the question is whether to extend unemployment benefits.
At least unemployed workers are no longer lazy – apparently …

I’m a big Bill O’Reilly fan today.
I also agree with Michelle Malkin.
And I think an appeals court was dead wrong when it ruled, on free speech grounds, in favor of people who protested at a …

The most important point to come out of a diverse coalition that’s callings for tighter electronic privacy laws: Officials should be able to access “communications that are not readily accessible to the public only with …

Your personal information posted online!
It’s 411 for pedophiles – a major security risk!
It’s called Spokeo – a name parodied two years ago as Spookey, the Big Brother of Social Networking sites.
And, in the end, it’s …

The next “soldiers” you meet could be close relatives of  your Nigerian uncle – if you’re not careful, that is.
It seems that the latest stunt from the set that’s sent us emails from Australian barristers …

It’s perfectly understandable when people try to assign blame in the event of accidents – in fact, doing so is even official policy for some agencies.
If I were the parent of a beautiful 16-year-old who …

The worst news for the newspaper industry out of today’s the Pew Internet and American Life Project report was not that 82 percent of those polled said they’d go to another site rather than pay …

It was a blunder so classically moronic that you wonder how the person who posted it was deemed intelligent enough to serve in the military – any country’s military, including countries with mandatory service.
“On Wednesday, …

I pay $65 a month for satellite TV service, and that’s way too much considering that we regularly watch only  Nickelodeon, ESPN and the local FOX affiliate. The package includes 200 channels, many of which …

What’s worse than a YouTube video showing a developmentally disabled boy being bullied?
A court verdict in Italy that finds Google executives guilty of invasion of privacy because the video was posted to begin with – …

First rule of complaining about media coverage: Whether it’s a philandering golfer or a foot in mouth and ink on hand politician, if you’re sick of hearing about someone don’t say something that’s going to …

If computer manufacturers wanted to do the world a big favor they’d include, not a shortcut to software,but a direct link to snopes.com on every box sold.
It wouldn’t end all the “Starbucks is anti-military” emails …

Once upon a time there was an Army post in the middle of the desert.
It had a weekly newspaper, but editions often failed to make it to all the boxes on post.
It had a radio …

It’s ironic that Google rolled out Safety Mode parental controls for YouTube in the same week that it made gmail unsafe for some folks in its careless rollout of Buzz.
Some of the early things I’d …

A recent Rasmussen Poll found that 63 percent of the country believes we’d be better off if most of Congress were re-elected.
Granted, Scott Rasmussen has worked on Republican campaigns before and some question whether the …

We have a raging health-care crisis that we cannot solve.
Unemployment has “dropped” to 9.7 percent, but that’s a trick. The real number is much higher because we no longer count people who are so discouraged …

If publishers think I’m impatient, wait until the guys throw themselves fully into the Net.
I’ve only been tapping my foot in front of the microwave for 30 years. My kids have been doing it since …

I have absolutely no problem with the police knowing anything my Internet Service Provider knows about me – as long as they use a proper search warrant to obtain the information.
Anyone’s a fool to think …

I bought a computer two weeks ago.
That in and of itself isn’t earth-shattering. I seem to buy a computer every few months of late.
What’s different, though, is that the newest computer never will be used …

Bayonets – he calls them “knife guns” – crack Big Guy up.
“Why are they using those?” he asked recently as we watched one of the “Pirates of the Caribbean. “Why don’t they just use their …

It’s amusing, in a “fiddling while Rome burns” sort of way, to see how public officials flock to the freebies like hogs to slop – and then fail to report the corporate largess that’s showered …

I don’t follow celebrity news, not because I’m a snob about it but because I rarely get to watch anything that’s not animated.
I know who Courtney Cox and Jennifer Aniston are because “Friends” was one …

Here’s how it works at Wal-Mart: A security guard spots someone she suspects of shop-lifting. She stops the person, calls the police and an investigation takes place.
Here’s how it would work if Wal-Mart were the …

Just when the experts thought kids couldn’t cram a single second more of electronics time into their days comes a study that shows, not only that they can, but that they have.
According to research the …

Brigid Shulte, you had me at “I have baked Valentine’s cupcakes until 2 a.m.” Except in my case, it was cookies and thanks to some quick calculations I was able to wrap it up by …

It’s early yet, but give Wal-Mart credit for the public relations coup of the year so far.
Last week, the retailer began charging 15 cents for regular bags and 50 cents for oversized ones in three …

I love technology. I really do.
I even love technology in cars. It came in handy back in September, when I frantically searched on my Blackberry for an open tire store after Dad had already driven …

I’m not one to whine about budget cuts – I understand the economic realities in the country at the moment, and I realize everyone is feeling some pain.
I’m also not surprised that Army posts are …

The warnings have been around for years, but they were easily ignored because they were couched in terms of “we think” and “possibly.”
Children might take longer to learn to talk if they spend a lot …

I’m not exactly a road warrior. If I were, my Blackberry home screen already would be filled with apps that keep me informed on the fly.
So it was a pleasant surprise this morning to click …

Pity the poor ginormous telecom that’s forced to scrape for every nickel and dime it can find in order to stay afloat. Eventually, those costs have to be passed along to the consumer, you know.
I’m …